LA GRANDE — La Grande National Guardsman Karl Baum, a citizen soldier with a noteworthy distinction, has received a salute from a U.S. Department of Defense agency.

Baum, a member of the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment and the owner of The Oregon Trail Trader in La Grande, has received the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program’s Patriot Award. The honor recognizes employers and their managers who help make it possible for people to be employed and serve in the National Guard or another reserve branch of the Armed Forces.

Baum is one of a limited number of members of the 3-116th Regiment who own a business that employs National Guardsmen. This means the Oregon Trail Trader employees who are guardsmen are among the few in this region with an employer who has a first-hand understanding of the challenges those in the National Guard face.

“We are very lucky to have people like Karl, who are employers,” said Jack Johnson, of Cove, the chair of Area Six of the Oregon Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee.

Baum was nominated by Maxwell Rounds, a National Guardsman who is employed by The Oregon Trail Trader, 2312 Adams Ave.

“Karl is outstanding,” said Rounds, a member of the 3-116 Regiment, in his written nomination.

Rounds credited Baum with doing an excellent job of supporting him as an employee and a National Guardsman. He said Baum maintains regular contact with him, knows his family and goes out of his way to help him.

He also praised Baum for accommodating his National Guard schedule and its sometimes pressing time demands..

“Karl Baum is the man and business owner who does what nobody has to do,” Rounds said, explaining that what inspires Baum is the opportunity to help citizen soldiers.

A National Guardsman for the past 19 years, Baum strives to help not only employees of his who are in the National Guard but any guardsmen who approach him with questions. Baum said he may not know the answer to all guardsmen queries, but knows who in the National Guard they should contact.

“I can direct them to the right person,” Baum said.

Johnson on Jan. 6 presented the award to Baum. Johnson, a retired member of the 3-116th, said it is important that employers supporting employees who are in the National Guard be recognized because of how valuable reserves are to the U.S. Armed Forces.

Johnson said their importance has increased since Congress ended the military draft in 1972. He said half of those in the Armed Forces in combat roles today are reservists. The Army National Guard is one of seven reserve components. The others are the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve, the Army Reserve, the Marine Corps Reserve, the Navy Reserve and the Coast Guard Reserve.

The Employee Support of the Guard and Reserve office within the Department of Defense, Johnson said, was created in 1972 to help bolster the military reserve programs.